Leicester 2 Middlesbrough 2
Mahrez 34 (Pen) Negredo 12 71
Slimani 90+4 (Pen)
Middlesbrough missed the chance to climb away from the
relegation zone after Islam Slimani’s last minute penalty gave Leicester a
point at the King Power.
Boro led twice in a game that they dominated for large
spells and where Alvaro Negredo ended his 11-game goal drought, which had stretched
back to the opening day of the season.
The Spanish striker was a constant menace to Leicester’s backline
and appeared to have earned his side all three points, when slotted home his
second goal of the game 19 minutes from time.
Negredo’s first half strike on 12 minutes, following a neat
attacking move, had initially been cancelled out by Riyad Mahrez’s penalty
after Calum Chambers handed the ball in the penalty area.
It was another spot kick which denied Aitor Karnaka’s side
with the last kick of the game, when a rash challenge from Marten De Roon on
Wes Morgan gave Slimani an opportunity to convert from 12 yards.
Claudio Ranieri made just the one change from Leicester’s
Champions League victory on Tuesday, as the suspended Danny Drinkwater made way
for Daniel Amartey.
Clearly impressed by his side’s performance against Chelsea
last weekend, Karanka named an unchanged starting 11 for the trip to the King
Power. That meant Negredo kept his place upfront, despite only scoring one goal
all season.
Jordan Rhodes didn’t even make the bench, amid speculation
that he could replace Negredo as Boro’s lone striker.
Some had criticised the Spanish forward who arrived on loan
from Valencia in the summer, yet Karanka has continuously back the potent
forward and Negredo immediately repaired his manager’s faith in him here.
Boro have picked up over half of their points away from home
this season and they were the quickest out of the blocks against the Premier
League champions.
The visitors took the lead on 12 minutes when a forward pass
from Chambers was controlled expertly by Negredo, who had dropped towards the
half way line, before he rolled the ball out to Gaston Ramirez on the left-hand-side.
With space to run into, the Uruguayan then charged at full
back Danny Simpson before cutting the ball back to Negredo, who had followed
the move and picked up a good position inside the penalty area.
His strike may not have been the cleanest but it curled perfectly
into the corner past the helpless Ron-Robert Zieler.
The Leicester keeper had already denied Adama Traore in the
opening ten minutes, when the Boro winger burst into the box and drilled an
effort at goal from a tight angle.
Karnaka’s side continued to threaten in the early stages of
the first half and looked comfortable in possession, with the midfield trio of
De Roon, Adam Clayton and Adam Forshaw outnumbering King and Amartey in
Leicester’s 4-4-2 formation.
The host’s first real attack came on the half hour mark when
Mahrez received the ball in space on the right and took on Boro full back
Fabio. The mercurial winger then chipped the ball into the area for Shinji
Okazaki, who attempted a spectacular overhead kick which clattered off the top
of the crossbar.
Leicester drew level minutes later, though, when Simpson
delivered swooping cross into the Boro box. The ball was heading towards
Leicester captain Wes Moragn who appeared to push his marker Chambers in the
back. The Boro centre half subsequently raised his arm, which made contact with
the ball, and referee Lee Mason awarded a penalty which Mahrez calmly
converted.
The Algerian was involved again minutes later when he
squared the ball back to Jamie Vardy in space, however the striker’s touch allowed
Ramirez to recover.
After weathering the early storm, Leicester improved after
the break however their defence, which was rock solid at the end of last
season, still looked vulnerable.
Ten minutes after, the restart the lively Traore charged
down the right channel, again, however the Spanish tyro’s low cross let him
down.
It wasn’t until Ranieri introduced Slimani - for Vardy - and
Ahmed Musa - for Mahrez - that the Foxes began threaten Victor Valdes’ goal.
Okazaki shot straight at the Boro keeper before Musa fired
over the bar moments later.
Yet the home fans couldn’t begrudge Boro’s second goal of
the game when Forshaw lofted a perfectly-weighted pass forward to Negredo. Former-Boro
defender Robert Huth was the man who lost Negredo and the striker instinctively
ran beyond the Leicester defence before slotting the ball into the far corner
with the outside of his boot.
That goal 19 minutes from time looked to have given Boro a valuable
victory, however De Roon’s late challenge allowed Slimani to draw Leicester
level.
